In spring 2024, several health insurance companies in Germany published a figure that alarmed many managers: mental illness is at an all-time high. Absenteeism due to overload and exhaustion has risen by more than 40 per cent within a decade and hybrid working has long been part of this development. At the same time, McKinsey warns that digital exhaustion and social isolation occur much more frequently than assumed in flexible working models (2022).
Flexible working brings freedom. But it also creates new patterns of stress that are hardly visible in everyday life. When employees juggle video calls, Slack messages and endless to-do lists, routines develop that quietly shift towards overload. The warning signs often come too late, especially in teams with high expectations.
So the question is not whether flexibility will remain. The question is how companies can design a working environment that retains the advantages of hybrid models without jeopardising the mental health of their employees. This is precisely where the strategic core of a sustainable future of work begins.
Flexible working models as health factor: What research and business show
Many companies associate flexible working models with higher productivity, better work-life balance and a modern employer brand. But now another effect is becoming apparent that has long been underestimated: flexibility has a greater impact on employees' mental health than traditional management models would suggest.
Accenture found that hybrid working is not only more popular, it also leads to a greater sense of control over one's own working day. Employees report having more energy and higher satisfaction when they have choices about where they work (2022). This correlation is becoming increasingly important as more and more teams work in roles that require a high degree of focus and self-management.
McKinsey also confirms this development. In a large-scale study, employees stated that fatigue and burnout risks are noticeably reduced in the hybrid model. The distribution of the effects is particularly interesting: people with care responsibilities benefit disproportionately. Flexibility compensates for structural stresses that are hardly visible in everyday office life (2022).
Our colleagues at Numeris Consulting provide another perspective. They describe how hybrid models reduce stress when they are clearly structured. Employees feel more involved and at the same time relieved because they can adapt their workspace to the situation. This increases motivation and has a positive long-term effect on retention (Numeris 2023).
From a business perspective, this finding is strategically relevant. Designing flexible work correctly not only boosts productivity and employer branding, it also strengthens the resilience of the entire organisation. This is because mentally stable teams work more consistently, creatively and sustainably. This makes mental health a real competitive advantage – and something that should no longer be treated as a ‘soft topic’.
The new stresses: digital exhaustion, fragmentation and silent overload
Hybrid working expands the scope for action, while at the same time creating stresses that were hardly visible in everyday office life. Many of these start quietly. And that is precisely what makes them dangerous.
A key factor is digital exhaustion. Screen time is increasing, breaks are shrinking, and communication is spreading across more and more channels. The boundary between work and leisure time is dissolving. Studies indicate that constant availability leads to sensory overload and reinforces the feeling of never being ‘finished.’ Employees experience a rapid decline in concentration and energy – despite supposed flexibility (Börse Express 2025).
Added to this is social fragmentation. Remote phases reduce spontaneous conversations and informal learning. Many employees find themselves in a series of meetings that allow for exchange but hardly any connection. Accenture emphasises that relationships in a hybrid environment must be cultivated in a targeted manner, otherwise they will lose their depth. A lack of proximity can lead to uncertainty because important signals simply do not appear in the digital space.
Another stressor arises from invisible performance expectations. Without physical presence, many resort to compensatory behaviour patterns: longer online times, faster responses, additional tasks. These are habits that are often not controlled by managers. McKinsey describes how ambitious employees in particular tend to become overworked when self-organisation and clear guidelines are lacking.
These stress patterns do not arise in extremes. They arise from the sum of small shifts. More emails. More meetings. Fewer breaks. A quiet readjustment of one's own resilience. This is exactly where flexibility tips over if organisations do not consciously take countermeasures. Because mental exhaustion is rarely an event. It arises as a process.
Prevention as a cultural issue: building blocks of sustainable mental health in hybrid teams
Flexible working only unfolds its value when companies create a culture that actively protects mental health. Prevention does not necessarily come about through individual measures, but through daily routines that promote resilient working practices.
A key building block is the organisation of working hours. Hybrid teams need clear rules for availability, meeting structures and focus times. Many companies overlook the fact that meetings in the digital space require more energy. That is why a radical reduction is worthwhile. Shorter slots. Fewer participants. More written preparation. These patterns give employees back control – a decisive factor in preventing overload.
At the same time, rituals are needed to create a sense of connection. Regular check-ins, learning from each other, taking breaks together. Numeris shows that hybrid teams work more stably when social contacts are consciously planned. Closeness does not arise automatically. It arises through recurring micro-moments in which people are noticed. These moments create security – the basis of mental strength (Numeris 2023).
Another lever lies with managers. They shape the working atmosphere more than any tool. Good leadership today means recognising stress signals earlier and discussing workloads openly. Hybrid models only work sustainably if managers manage performance pressure transparently and respect boundaries. Trust beats control. And clarity beats speed.
Prevention also requires reliable routines for self-regulation. Teams that encourage conscious breaks, use time blocking or set up digital detox zones achieve noticeable effects. These practices seem trivial. But they significantly reduce digital exhaustion, as recent studies on constant availability show.
All these measures are interlinked. They not only make flexibility feasible, but also healthy. And they help organisations create an environment that reduces stress rather than shifting it. This is precisely where it becomes clear how seriously companies take the future of work.
Conclusion
Hybrid working has long proven its strength. But recent years have clearly shown that flexibility only works when mental health becomes an integral part of work organisation. The data speaks for itself: digital exhaustion, social fragmentation and silent overload arise where structures are lacking and expectations remain invisible.
Companies that want to work flexibly therefore need more than technical solutions. They need clear rules, visible leadership and routines that give employees stability. This is precisely where it is decided whether hybrid models motivate or exhaust.
When organisations limit availability, protect focus times and consciously design social proximity, they create a working environment that gives strength instead of taking it away. Teams work in a more balanced way. Leadership becomes more reliable. And productivity increases because people feel secure.
The future of work is flexible. But it will only remain viable if companies treat the well-being of their employees as the basis for their performance. Those who take this step will create a working model that can withstand today's demands and meet tomorrow's challenges.
Sources
- Accenture (2022): The Future of Work: Productive Anywhere
- McKinsey (2022): Women in the Workplace – Hybrid Work and Burnout Findings
- Numeris Consulting (2023): Hybrid working in finance and legal
- Börse Express (2025): Digitale Erschöpfung als Schattenseite der Homeoffice-Revolution
Further reading
We show you how to set up your recruiting processes based on data and optimize them technically in the previous insight “Data-driven recruiting – The key strategy for reducing costs in human resources”. It deals with tools, automation, and building a real data strategy.
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